100+ Head-Fier

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Okay just finished all 170 pages of this thread. I picked up my X last week from ebay. I scored the x1050 model for a mere $207 shipped and the unit was virtually pristine so no complaints about the price here

My experience is limited to owning UM2s 3 years ago and SE530s sometime last year. My UM2s were paired with an old iPod 4th generation with mainly 320kbps mp3 files. I liked the sound, but wasn't really into the dull neutrality of it. I then 'upgraded' to the SE530s and paired it with the touch 1g and 2g and was unimpressed. In fact I hardly used the pairing for the time I owned them. After selling the SE530s I've been on a hiatus until about last month when I decided to check out what was in which lead me here.

I now use the X1050 alongside UE Triple.Fi 10s and I enjoy the sound immensely. I've only tested the TF10s with the touch and nano using the same files, but they just don't produce sound the same way. With the X and all settings off and EQ set to neutral with CB at +1, the sound is incredibly fun and warm with smooth highs. I'm not a basshead but the punchy bass I get out of the TF10 + x1050 combination makes it hard to keep my feet still. I really like the fun sound signature and I want to add it's not at all fatiguing to my ears. I can listen up to 5 at a time while studying in the library. One downside is sometimes I get so into the music, I tend to lose focus on my current task at hand.

One further comment on the TF10s. The medium tips fit perfectly fine and comfortable on my right ear and I could easily go all day with them, but the same can't be said about the left ear. The mediums give a perfect seal for the left ear but the canal can get very sore from extended use. Using the small silicone for the left ear does not give a good seal so that's out of the question. I think this is really only an issue that upgrading to customs can solve as I've had this problem with SE530s and UM2s as well.

edit: just discovered something. If you have two albums with the same name but different artists then consider renaming one of them because they will both end up getting lumped together if you filter and select your music by albums

Headphoneus Supremus

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deusofhearts-
Congrats on picking up an X. It really does sound amazing, and it's great to see new owners discovering its sound, and losing themselves in their music all over again. I have the same experience as you where I can get distracted from the task at hand at work.. that's a very true way of describing the X effect.

Headphoneus Supremus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, battery life is **** and the interface is slow. I dont care. I spent a number of hours last night trying every combo I own with my integrated amp, including the Marantz. The end result, from all of my headphones, is that the HP out on the X gives me so much more than anything else. At this point in time, believe it or not, its the single best piece of audio kit I own, modest though that collection may be.

The X is one of my favorite pieces of gear too. One of the things I've learned from buying and selling a lot of equipment is that absolute sound quality doesn't always correlate to enjoyment. The X isn't without flaws but it presents the music well. I think because it gets the midrange clarity and tone right any other faults are very easy to live with. I can hear spacial cues and a sense of soundstage depth (even with Koss KSC-35!) that I never got with ipod 5.5g through LOD to RSA Hornet. High impedance headphones still need the additional amp with the X of course.

1000+ Head-Fier

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Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey FF, as an all-rounder for my own preferences, I prefer the C710 to the JVC mainly because of the vocals. If I only ever listened to instrumental, then maybe the JVC would win out. Choosing between the C751 and the JVC, I would probably prefer the JVC, but the distant vocals would still bug me.

Chris (cn11) can also chime in about the C710 since he has all three, C700/710 and JVC - and he should be getting his copy of 11:11 very soon!! PM me your email address and I'll send you a couple of good test tracks from it. They sound amazing on the X

As for quoting parts of posts - when you're in the reply box - look at the icons along the top, and depending on whether you're in 'quick reply' or 'advanced' mode - just hover over the icon next to the left of the # sign and you'll see: "Wrap tags around selected text".Just highlight the part of the post you want to quote... and then click on the quote icon, and you should see the section you highlighted with quotes round it.

I find the fx500's okay with the vocal's, just the mids are the only issue for me which does not quite match it low & high range on these buds.

I think i will see if i can sell some old crap like an ipod touch! (only joking) on fleabay to rasie some funds as the 751's are on a special @ amp3 at the moment and they take Paypal as payment so if still on offer then i will give them a whirl and will be no loss if i don't get on with them. Am still debating also wether to get myself a pair of fx500's once Honeyboy's pair go back to him. I think i might miss them!?

Thanks for the quote tagging tip, will try that soon in a post hopefully!

Headphoneus Supremus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha good teasing this is a pefect match with both IE8 and TF10. It's also a superb match with the APS V3 hfi 780!!!! Thanks a lot for that recommendation. This combo is really, really good.

Hey,
Glad you're enjoying the 780's! So you're now running the X with the ALO Rx, and 780's? What are you liking about the combo?? I'm just about caught up on morning emails at work here, and then guess what's going on my ears!

1000+ Head-Fier

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Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey,
Glad you're enjoying the 780's! So you're now running the X with the ALO Rx, and 780's? What are you liking about the combo?? I'm just about caught up on morning emails at work here, and then guess what's going on my ears!

The hfi 780s I got are the ones from mrarroyo. They sound really good but the clamping force is quite bugging me a bit. They're terminated in 1/4" neutrik which isn't that convenient for portables.The 6.4mm-3.5mm adapter I currently have is too slack so sadly I haven't had much listening since I've had to keep my hands on the connection to prevent channel imbalance and now I can't even find the darn adapter haha

I however had a few listening moments yesterday with my hands tied to the faulty connector and I must frankly say that am rather impressed with the X. The Rx does a lot more for the hfi 780 than it does for the IE8. I amped the touch 2G with the Rx and an ibasso LOD and although the X sounds quite colored compared to that combo It has an openness, airiness and tonality to vocals that I cannot replicate with the touch 2G combo.

Amping the sony using the Rx and a silver plated 3.5mm mini to mini results in way better results than amping the touch via LOD!! Using the hfi 780 it drives them with lots more power and authority. I can detect better separation and transparency with an expanse in soundstage and dynamics and what am really liking is the portrayal of different layers in the music. I do lose some of these qualities when I just listen directly out of the X, more so in soundstage/separation and dynamics and power. However, am still very satisfied with the way the X drives these phones.

Ultimately I may have to sadly part ways with the Rx as it doesn't really accomplish my objective for purchasing it. Which was to obtain a portable amplifier that synergies with the IE8.The improvements to the IE8 are rather subtle to my ears that I can't justify keeping the amp whilst the recabled hfi 780 I have aren't portable friendly, in which case I'd rather opt for a dedicated home amp for those. Am in experimental mode now and may repurchase the Rx if I sell it but until then the X+hfi 780 and X+ IE8 is keeping me very satisfied.

Headphoneus Supremus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif The hfi 780s I got are the ones from mrarroyo. They sound really good but the clamping force is quite bugging me a bit. They're terminated in 1/4" neutrik which isn't that convenient for portables.The 6.4mm-3.5mm adapter I currently have is too slack so sadly I haven't had much listening since I've had to keep my hands on the connection to prevent channel imbalance and now I can't even find the darn adapter haha

I however had a few listening moments yesterday with my hands tied to the faulty connector and I must frankly say that am rather impressed with the X. The Rx does a lot more for the hfi 780 than it does for the IE8. I amped the touch 2G with the Rx and an ibasso LOD and although the X sounds quite colored compared to that combo It has an openness, airiness and tonality to vocals that I cannot replicate with the touch 2G combo.

Amping the sony using the Rx and a silver plated 3.5mm mini to mini results in way better results than amping the touch via LOD!! Using the hfi 780 it drives them with lots more power and authority. I can detect better separation and transparency with an expanse in soundstage and dynamics and what am really liking is the portrayal of different layers in the music. I do lose some of these qualities when I just listen directly out of the X, more so in soundstage/separation and dynamics and power. However, am still very satisfied with the way the X drives these phones.

Ultimately I may have to sadly part ways with the Rx as it doesn't really accomplish my objective for purchasing it. Which was to obtain a portable amplifier that synergies with the IE8.The improvements to the IE8 are rather subtle to my ears that I can't justify keeping the amp whilst the recabled hfi 780 I have aren't portable friendly, in which case I'd rather opt for a dedicated home amp for those. Am in experimental mode now and may repurchase the Rx if I sell it but until then the X+hfi 780 and X+ IE8 is keeping me very satisfied.

Awesome impressions. I get the same improvements in my 780's as well. The Rx really makes them sing. Everything collapses a bit by comparison when listening with them straight out of the X's HO. But, if I hadn't heard what's possible with the X/Rx/780 combo I could still be content with the same rig minus the Rx. It's just that much better with the Rx! The amp really takes the strengths of the X to the next level when listening with these cans.

It's a bummer it doesn't create the same amount of change with the IE8's. I can understand how it sort of becomes lost in a no-man's-land between truly portable and home listening. It would be a shame if you sold it. I intend to keep mine for a long time running with the X and whatever other cans I get.

Headphoneus Supremus

Cn11, would you recommend amping the X out of its headphone out or purchasing a dock for it? I've read that in your case, the dock adds distortion to the mix when coupled with full sized phones. Gauging from impressions though, more improvements are discernible when the X is amped through the dock. Did I interpret this correctly?

I wonder how much improvement can be had with the dock-Pico combination. I'll probably purchase the dock since I could hear very little improvement when amping the X through its headphone out. But the distortion issues are really creeping me out.

Cn11, did you find that turning off clear bass solved the distortion issue for you?

1000+ Head-Fier

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...X+ IE8 is keeping me very satisfied.

This is a combination I've been thinking about for some time now. I've heard the X through my Pimeta and to the 580's. The combo pleased me very much and greater than the iPod touch 3rd gen 32GB, Zune HD, and Cowon S9.

I've recently returned my RE0's due to lack of low end and a squished soundstage. But I did enjoy the smooth vocals from this IEM.

Headphoneus Supremus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Ultimately I may have to sadly part ways with the Rx as it doesn't really accomplish my objective for purchasing it. Which was to obtain a portable amplifier that synergies with the IE8.The improvements to the IE8 are rather subtle to my ears that I can't justify keeping the amp whilst the recabled hfi 780 I have aren't portable friendly, in which case I'd rather opt for a dedicated home amp for those. Am in experimental mode now and may repurchase the Rx if I sell it but until then the X+hfi 780 and X+ IE8 is keeping me very satisfied.

i was one step from getting the X but i just couldnt justify the high price tag here in my country and i may buy the hd600 soon,so instead i bought headroom micro amp from a fellow headfier here with great price(actually it is a steal)and i will connect it to ipod 2g<lod<ie8 and see if it will blow me away,and i will post my findings in the ie8 thread incase anyone is interested.the micro amp is not portable but there is portable micro amp at headrrom which is basically the same but can be operated with batteries.